Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text

May 09, 2022, Finance Committee Meeting. Minutes

Finance Committee · Record date 2022-05-09 · Record 5c9146c1252072908b

Saved text from 4 source pages. Transcription and OCR may contain errors; verify figures and wording against the original. Retrieved 2026-10-15.

Canton Finance Committee                   Minutes Voted on: 7/13/22
                                             801 Washington Street                    Vote: 5-0-0
                                               Canton, MA 02021


                                                 Meeting Minutes
                                                   May 9, 2022



Finance Committee Members Present: Dave Clough, Dan Cole, Tom Emery, Karen Foley, Emilio Mauro and
Cindy Thomas.

Finance Committee Members Absent: Tim McKenna and Reuki Schutt.

Guests Present:
Ellen Jones, Finance Committee Recording Secretary
Bernie Plante, Canton Holdings
Randy Scollins, Finance Director

Call Meeting to Order: Vice Chair Thomas called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and reconsider various Town Meeting articles for which
new/amended/substitute motions were presented for the Finance Committee’s consideration.

Article 2 Motion 2 – Non-Residents – Discussion and Vote on Amended Motion

A motion made by Mr. Mauro to reconsider Article 2 Motion 2 was seconded by Mr. Clough.
Vote: 6-0-0

A motion made by Mr. Mauro that the following individuals be added to the list of individuals under Article 2,
Motion 2:
“Melanie Floyd, Program Manager, Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse
(Article 3)”,
“Mr. Enrique Montemayor, CEO, Harbar
(Article 36)”,
“Mr. Luis Tueme, Vice President, Harbar
(Article 36)”
and “Bernie Plante, Canton Holdings (Article 31)” was seconded by Mr. Clough.
Vote: 6-0-0

Article 11 – Insurance Proceeds – Discussion and Vote on Motion

A motion made by Mr. Mauro that the sum of Two Hundred Forty- Five Thousand Forty-Three Dollars and
Fifty-Four Cents ($245,043.54) be appropriated with the intent that such funds so appropriated be available in
FY 22, to be spent by the School Department Director of Finance and Operations with the approval of
the School Committee in connection with insurance recovery from losses suffered from the Galvin Middle
School water break and that to meet this appropriation, the sum of Two Hundred Forty- Five Thousand Forty-
Three Dollars and Fifty-Four Cents ($245,043.54) be transferred from the Insurance Reimbursement Fund
#173 to the School Department Account #42209002-52400 (Repair/Maintenance of Buildings) was seconded
by Mr. Emery.
Vote: 6-0-0

Article 22 – Memorial Hall Exterior Renovations – Discussion - Results of General Contractor Bids

Mr. Scollins provided the Committee with an update regarding the Memorial Hall Exterior Renovation project as
follows:
        Town Meeting would be presented with a motion to supplement the already $2.6 million budget with an
         additional transfer of $300,000 from the Bolivar Pool Capital Project Fund.
        The Town received five general contractor bids for the project. The top three bidders were better than what
         had been expected by about $25,000 to $100,000. Mr. McCarthy, Chair of the Buildings Renovations
         Committee, has not yet selected a GC as the bids need to be vetted given the “tightness” of the bids
         received. The sub-contractor bids were too high and may have to be rebid. Mr. Scollins further stated that
         Mr. McCarty was still in favor of the $300,000 supplement being requested in Article 22.



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Article 23 – Acquire Permanent Easement over 145 Sherman Street for Drainage Infrastructure and Conveyance
of Stormwater Purposes – Status Update

Mr. Scollins reported the following update regarding Article 23:

        Select Board Chair Mr. Loughran and Town Administrator Mr. Aspinwall had finalized an agreement on a price
         of $17,000 for acquisition of the easement. This amount was acceptable to the property owner. The funding
         source for the $17,000 would be free cash.
        With regard to the eminent domain clause, Mr. Loughran did not see this as a “sticking point” for finalizing the
         agreement and that he was confident that everyone was working in good faith on the agreement but that the
         Town was firm on the eminent domain clause remaining in the motion.

A motion made by Mr. Mauro that the motion that appears in the printed copy of the warrant be amended as
follows: “Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000)” be replaced with: “Seventeen Thousand Dollars ($17,000)”
in each occurrence was seconded by Mr. Clough.
Vote: 6-0-0.

Article 31 – Acceptance of Revolution Way as a Town Way - Discussion

Mr. Scollins provided a recap of Article 31 as follows:

        The Finance Committee voted to support the Planning Board’s motion.
        The Planning Board voted not to accept Revolution Way as a Town Way. At a subsequent meeting held on
         May 4th, the Planning Board voted to reconsider Article 31. Again, the Planning Board voted 5-0 to not
         recommend the acceptance of Revolution Way.
        The Select Board has been working with Mr. Aspinwall and Mr. Plante on the details of the Revolution Way
         Acceptance Agreement.
        The Select Board voted unanimously to support the acceptance of Revolution Way with the following three
         conditions be required of the developer: 1) that Canton Holdings maintain a Performance Bond of $540,000
         2) that conditions be met as stated in the Acceptance Agreement and 3) that all outstanding items be
         completed within 120 days after the adjournment of the 2022 Annual Town Meeting. If these conditions are
         not met then the Town cannot accept Revolution Way as a Town Way.
        The Select Board has the faith and confidence in the developer that they will complete the items within the
         120 days. The Select Board does not want to go another year until the next Town Meeting for the road to be
         accepted.
        The Planning Board does not have the confidence that the conditions will be met within the 120 days.

Mr. Plante provided the following information regarding Revolution Way:

        He was unaware that the Planning Board and Finance Committee had planned to reconsider Article 31.
        Mr. Plante’s estimation of the repairs that still needed to be done were approximately $25,000 and $10,000
         under the as built.
        Jay Mello, the Town’s Engineer, provided a lengthy list of outstanding items with regard to the road. These
         items are listed in Exhibit B of the Acceptance Agreement.
        Mr. Plante stated that Canton Holdings has lived up to all of its obligations to date.
        Approximately $1,340,000 of infrastructure has been done on the project.
        Canton Holdings has no interest in “walking away” from the project.
        As the Town’s Road Commissioners the Select Board will have to formally accept the road as a town way.
        The Fire Chief sent an email in support of the roadway.

A motion made by Mr. Mauro to reconsider the Finance Committee’s previous vote for Article 31 was seconded
by Mr. Clough. Vote: 6-0-0

A motion made by Mr. Mauro that a substitute motion as presented for Article 31:

    a)   that the layout of Revolution Way be accepted as a town way and as laid out by the Select Board pursuant to
         M.G.L. c. 41 and c. 82, as shown on a plan entitled “As-Built Plan of Land, Revolution Way, prepared by VHB of
         Watertown, MA, dated January 10, 2022” as may be hereafter amended to reflect the road as completed
         (hereinafter referred to as “Acceptance Plan”), within 120 days “after the termination of the town meeting at
         which the laying out, alteration or relocation of such town way or private way is accepted by the town” pursuant
         to M.G.L. c. 82 Section 24; and

    b)   that Revolution Way be acquired as a Town Way by purchase, gift, or eminent domain of such land and
         easements for the creation, maintenance, and operation of a town way, including but not limited to easements for
         access, grading, drainage, sloping, construction, and utilities, as described in the Acceptance Plan; and further



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c)   that the Select Board and Town officers be authorized to take any and all related actions necessary or
         appropriate to carry out the purposes of this vote,

be recommended to Town Meeting was seconded by Mr. Clough. Vote 6-0-0.

Article 36 – Amend Zoning Map of Canton (Articles 36, 37, 39, 41 & 42)

The Planning Board had voted to withdraw Articles 36, 37, 39, 41 and 42. The businesses along Route 138 are
concerned with the expansion being proposed. Mr. Mauro stated that it may be better to hold off on these articles for
a future Town meeting and that it would be important to get the zoning for this area of Canton right. The Planning
Board would be asked by the Town Moderator to remove without prejudice Articles 36, 37, 39, 41 and 42.

A motion made by Mr. Mauro that the Finance Committee support the Planning Board’s vote to withdraw and
postpone indefinitely without prejudice Articles 36, 37, 39, 41 and 42 was seconded by Ms. Foley.
Vote: 6-0-0.

St. Gerard’s/Oscar Romero Purchase - Update – Mr. Scollins stated that he was providing an update regarding the
purchase of the St. Gerard’s property so that the Finance Committee could release several sets of Executive Session
minutes. The final sale would take place in approximately 2 ½ weeks. The Town would be purchasing the site for $3.2
million with approximately $80,000 in expenses. The Town would not have to use the eminent domain clause.

Approval of Minutes

A motion made by Mr. Mauro to release the Executive Session Minutes for October 14, October 26,
October 27, November 29 and December 1, 2021 was seconded by Mr. Clough. (The Executive Session
Minutes had been previously approved at the January 26, 2022 Finance Committee Meeting. This vote was to
release the Executive Session minutes to the public.)
Vote: 6-0-0.

A motion made by Mr. Mauro to approve the March 23, 2022 minutes as written was seconded by Ms. Foley.
Vote: 6-0-0.

A motion made by Mr. Mauro to approve the April 6, 2022 minutes as written was seconded by Ms. Foley.
Vote: 6-0-0.

Announcements

Ms. Thomas stated that the Finance Committee has one vacancy. It was suggested that a letter be sent to the editor
of the Canton Citizen, similar to a letter that had been sent in a previous year, announcing that the Finance
Committee is seeking to fill the vacancy.

Adjournment - A motion made by Mr. Mauro to adjourn the meeting at 6:31 p.m. was seconded by
Mr. Clough. Vote: 6-0-0

Next Meeting Date: To be determined.

Minutes reviewed by: Tom Emery

Respectfully submitted,




Cindy Thomas, Vice Chair on behalf of
Timothy McKenna, Chair
Canton Finance Committee




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Canton Finance Committee Meeting
                                              Meeting Documents
                                                  May 9, 2022


Please note: Some meeting documents may be found on the Town’s website under the Posted Minutes
section (Laser Fiche).

Information regarding the FY23 Municipal Budget may be found at the following link:

https://www.town.canton.ma.us/407/Municipal-Budget-Capital-Information

Agenda for May 9, 2022 (1 page).

Article 11 – Insurance Proceeds – Background Information from Steve Marshall, Director of Finance and Operations,
Canton Public School (9 pages).

Article 31 – Revolution Way – As-built Agreement – Signed 1/11/22 (1 page).

Article 31 – Revolution Way Acceptance Agreement – Unsigned (19 pages).

Article 31 – Canton Holdings Performance Bond – Dated 2/2/19 (17 pages).

Article 31 – Email from Bernie Plante to Tim McKenna – Dated 5/5/22 (2 pages).

Article 2 and Article 11 – Motions for Reconsideration (2 pages).

Copy of Email from Patti McDermott, Vice Chair of the Planning Board, to Tim McKenna dated 5/5/22 regarding
Article Votes (Articles 36, 37, 39, 41 and 42) taken at the May 4, 2022 Planning Board Meeting. (2 pages).




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